Australian car industry to bow out with HSV-powered bang

The Australian car industry is set go out with a high-powered bang when the very last born-and-bred model is released in December, motoring.com.au can reveal.

HSV is set to become the last manufacturer to deliver a locally-produced vehicle to market, confirming this week that it will build its final car just before Christmas.

While HSV doesn’t strictly build cars from the ground up – instead taking Commodore-based donor models from Holden and then applying their own high performance, extroverted stamp – stakeholders have signaled to motoring.com.au that the local operation will continue building Commodore-based products up until Christmas – well after Toyota and Holden cease local manufacturing in October.

“I guess you’re right,” HSV marketing general manager Damon Paull said when made aware of the news this week. “With Ford, Toyota and Holden already gone, that leaves us as the last.”

The December changeover marks arguably the biggest shift in focus for the HSV brand since its inception. The tuner, which has been deeply ingrained in Australian car culture since its beginnings in 1987, will build its final Australian Zeta platform-based model in December before moving to a new business model thereafter.

The December deadline even opens the door to HSV’s final car being the LS9-powered GTSR W1, the firm’s most powerful model.

Speculation is rampant the HSV division will moved its attention to Opel- and Chevrolet-sourced product thereafter. Paull said HSV would detail its plans “in the next few months”.

HSV’s high-powered salute will begin much sooner than December, Paull said. The very last version of the iconic GTS will leave the production line in April, at which point HSV will concentrate its efforts to the 300-strong flagship GTSR range, which includes sedan and Maloo ute variants.

“The GTSR commences from the week of April 10. We think a lot of the GTSR customer demand will come from existing customers, it’s going to be a busy time,” Paull said.

“We will only build 170 GTS models this year and the last of those will occur in April. We’re going to be building 90 in March and April, that signals the beginning of GTSR production.”

Is it fitting that a HSV will go out as the last locally-built Australian car? Tell us in the comments section below.